Exploring older adults’ ICT support: A mismatch between needs and provision

Abstract

Because findings in prior research are ambiguous, it remains unclear whether and under which circumstances formal and informal support sources help older adults with their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use. Our qualitative interview study with 96 older adults (>65, including Internet users and non-users) aims to shed light on older adults’ ICT support by addressing two research questions: (Q1) What types of ICT support needs do older adults experience in their everyday lives? (Q2) For each type of need, who provides the support? Our results show that there are four analytically distinct types of support needs that are often conflated in the literature: motivational support, instructional support, technical support and support by proxy use. Each support type has its suitable support sources. To foster digital inclusion, older adults require access to the specific type(s) of support that fits their occurring need(s).